El Dorado 5-Year

I like sweet rums and I cannot lie so the El Dorado line is one of my favorites. This is my go-to rum for mixing drinks that call for a blended aged rum, but not quite a sipper and I love it for hot-buttered rum. It isn't harsh or funky at all and gives quiet strength to cocktails that lean to the sweeter side (not like stupid sweet boat drinks and pina coladas, but the sweeter tiki style drink.) of the tiki spectrum. It isn't really a 10 but it is so inexpensive, it is the best value for mixers I have found.

Great price for a nice toffee tasting sipper my first post forgive my neivete. Just getting into this rummy life. Bourbon getting too expensive. And I love history of Caribbean.

This one will be a little dry for those who love rums such as Zaya, Zacapa and Diplomatico. Nicely robust Demeraran and one of the best buys in the $15 price range.

This one has a different blend of rums from the 8 and 12 yr and is closer to the 15 in terms of flavor profile, with substantially less added sugar (12 grams/ltr vs 30 for the 15 yr). Don't be fooled into thinking the aging is responsible for the smoothness of the 15 yr, who knows what percentage of the rum is actually 15 years old? (Only the blender).

El Dorado's opening price point. Smooth Amber and probably the best bang for your buck. One of the nicest economy rums. Very similar to the 8-year old version.

This isn't about the rum, it's about the experience. When travelling through Guyana, I always carry bottles of ED5 with me as a gift, salve, and icebreaker. It has fueled many-an-evening of fabulous times and revelrous story telling with my wise Amerindian and gregarious Guyanese friends. And it sure knows how to take the edge of a rough day of potholes and tire failures on that #&%@#$ laterite road that criss-crosses that obscure jungle nation.

This stuff isn't just legendary, it has genuine medicinal qualities to its credit too. Check out Congresswoman Speier's tale of the Jonestown massacre back in the late 70's. She was shot five times at point blank range in the airstrip attack that killed Congressman Ryan, the NBC news crew, and several others. She recounts how she had to endure the night, bleeding to death huddled under the wing of the disabled plane waiting for help to arrive the next day. What did she do to get through the night? She drank El Dorado rum, my friend. (Listen to the clip - it's a really moving StoryCorps interview: http://bit.ly/hJsPee)

When I can get my hands on it, I prefer the only-slightly-more-expensive ED8 which is noticeably smoother and friendlier to rum newbies. But ED 5 makes a fine mixer and I've been delighted to see more and more hip SF-area bars making ED5 their preferred well rum. Cool!

Very smooth. Nice toffee flavor. Sweet but not overly done. Would recommend.

As far as aged rums go this one's a baby but surprisingly smooth. The aroma in the bottle is quite nice. I can't put my finger on it but the aroma hints of sweetness but not a syrupy sweetness but a fruity sweetness. This is accentuated when smelled via a snifter.

The flavor is nice. Sweet but not cloyingly. Far from it. Seems the sweet is natural. Doesn't taste like there's added sugars. Has elements of butterscotch and vanilla and a little cinnamon. A little pepperiness, too. Not harsh at all but surprisingly smooth. I can see some enjoying this as a sipping rum while others use it in mixed drinks. Very versatile. A great rum for the price.

Excellent on the rocks (probably too hot for sipping neat), nicely complex and oaky. Mix it with coconut water and you have the world's greatest drink. Also great with cola and ginger beer. At between $12-$17 this can't be beat for value.

This is E Dorado 5 year old: my 2nd favourite rum (afterAngostura 1919) - smooth, warming, with a bit of a kick.

My firsyt incursion in Demerara rum. Ver good, smooth and really good to sip. one of my favorites rums.